Adventure Run/Goat - Ft. Ebey State Park

Come join us for the annual Founder's Day event at Fort Ebey State Park on Whidbey Island!  This year's event will feature a mass start race format called an Adventure Run (also called a Goat event). 10-20 checkpoints are circled on the map; you have to visit the checkpoints in order but you can skip one checkpoint.  There are 2 race distances: 9.1 km and 3.7 km on the straight line (actual running distance will be approximately 11 km and 5 km respectively).  Also, a 2.0 km beginner course will be available.  The male and female winners of the long course will receive a special Founder's Day award.  Be competitive or casual, participate solo or in a team.  Suitable for beginners as most checkpoints will be on or near trails.  No mountain bikes, however due to safety concerns.  Here are the course statistics:

Course Name: distance, climb, # of checkpoints, special features

Adventure Run Long: 9.1km, 500m, 20c, skip one checkpoint, mass start

Adventure Run Short: 3.7km, 240m, 10c, skip one checkpoint, mass start

Beginner: 2.0km, 75m, 5c, untimed, no skips, start any time between 11am and noon

Detailed description:

The map scale is 1:10,000 and the contour interval 5 meters.  The map area is approx. 3 square kilometers and the map will be printed on 8.5 x 14 inch (legal) size paper, except for the the beginner course which will be 1:5000 on standard 8.5 x 11 inch paper.  The staging area will be at a shelter near the top of a bluff overlooking Puget Sound, the Olympic Mtns, and the San Juan Islands.  Nearby are a campground, a group camp area, and an old gun battery that once guarded the entrance to Puget Sound.  There is a long trail along the top of the bluff above the beach and in the north end, the bluff becomes low enough that there is a beach access.  This area is very similar to Fort Casey State Park but with fewer gun batteries.  The rest of the park consists of forested trails.

The forested part of the park is very unique in that it is one of the few areas in the state that contains ‘kettle’ or negative topography.  The area contains 20-30 large (about 50-60 m deep) depressions called “kettles” and many smaller depressions as well.  The bottoms of many of the kettles are free of thick vegetation presumably due to the lack of sunlight that reaches the bottom. 

All checkpoints will be on or near a trail and will therefore not require bashing through thick underbrush.   However, the courses will involve a greater than average amount of climb (elevation gain).  The mass start will be at 11:00am and the course closes at 1:30pm.  We encourage beginners and recreational participants to choose the short course or beginner option to ensure that you have enough time to complete the course before 1:30.  Everyone must check in at the finish line, even if you have not completed the entire course.